DC in super 8

This isn't a wedding video... It's a few shots filmed in S8 of DC a few days before the inauguration. I plan on using my S8 camera to add to wedding packages... So please send me some criticism.
I feel like i've been stuck in a rut with the past 3 personal video projects that i've done. the creative flow just isn't there. The footage doesn't seem to flow well during the edit. I'll take any advice. I'm going through some kind of "video identity crisis". Anyone else ever been there before?

DC in Super8 on Vimeo

Steve

[Ken Diewert]

Originally Posted by Stephen J. Williams

This isn't a wedding video... It's a few shots filmed in S8 of DC a few days before the inauguration. I plan on using my S8 camera to add to wedding packages... So please send me some criticism.
I feel like i've been stuck in a rut with the past 3 personal video projects that i've done. the creative flow just isn't there. The footage doesn't seem to flow well during the edit. I'll take any advice. I'm going through some kind of "video identity crisis". Anyone else ever been there before?

DC in Super8 on Vimeo

Steve

Steve,

I love the retro super8 look, but personally I'd just rather do it in post. And I don't think you can make super8 look anything but retro. I enjoyed your save the date piece with the couple and the chalk-board (where they use the super8 cam), in fact I was planning on showing it to a client this afternoon.

As far as ID crisis, I think we all go thru that. 3 years ago when I decided to get serious about this biz, I consciously designed my company logo to scare off would-be brides. Now look where I am. This wedding forum is practically the only sub-forum I've visited in the last few months.

What I really hadn't thoroughly considered is that I live on an island (literally), so my client base is pretty small and I have to generalize. You're in an area with a dense enough population that you can specialize, you know, find a niche. Just explore til you find something you like to do, because to me, it's all about enjoying the process. I used to love to film wildlife. I found it very meditative to lie around in mud, waiting, and waiting for that perfect shot. Sometimes spending 4 hours to get 30 seconds of footage. And that was a good day.

[Philip Gioja]

I know what you're talking about. I've been going through the same process over the last year or year and a half. I was actually getting kinda depressed about it towards the end of the last year, with the economy going on, my day job slowing down, etc. I don't know what happened really but this year has started out with a new pace and I have some new ideas that have made things change a little bit. I'm hoping I can hit a good stride this year.

There were a couple things that helped me out. I took a risk and tried some new things with some wedding clients that I had never tried before, and that's been received well by this year's prospects.

I also rewrote my website from scratch trying to reach my target markets. I have several markets that I work with, but before I had everything all muddled together. Now I'm learning how to work with each separate market.

And I designed a logo. Never had a logo before, never thought I needed one, but I like it and it helps the marketing all make sense.

Your camera work looks great. A lot of it is handheld but you have a good handheld as best I can tell - your shots have purpose, it's not distractingly shaky, and they work together. I personally like Super-8 - I've seen a lot of nice work done in Super-8 and I hope it stays around a while longer. You can do it in post, but to me it doesn't look quite the same.

[Stephen J. Williams]

Originally Posted by Ken Diewert

Steve,

I love the retro super8 look, but personally I'd just rather do it in post. And I don't think you can make super8 look anything but retro. I enjoyed your save the date piece with the couple and the chalk-board (where they use the super8 cam), in fact I was planning on showing it to a client this afternoon.

As far as ID crisis, I think we all go thru that. 3 years ago when I decided to get serious about this biz, I consciously designed my company logo to scare off would-be brides. Now look where I am. This wedding forum is practically the only sub-forum I've visited in the last few months.

What I really hadn't thoroughly considered is that I live on an island (literally), so my client base is pretty small and I have to generalize. You're in an area with a dense enough population that you can specialize, you know, find a niche. Just explore til you find something you like to do, because to me, it's all about enjoying the process. I used to love to film wildlife. I found it very meditative to lie around in mud, waiting, and waiting for that perfect shot. Sometimes spending 4 hours to get 30 seconds of footage. And that was a good day.

Hey Ken... I agree that the S8 look can be reproduced fairly well in post. The big picture is actually breaking the old camera out. People for some reason gravitate towards it, and to me that cant be beat. The couple that I gave the camera to in their STD video absolutely loved using it. It was funny to see them getting into it and call their own shots.

Thanks for the comfort that you've been in place as well... It's weird trying to explain it to my wife... I'm not a writer but I'm guessing it feels like "writers block".

I agree that I need to find that one thing that'll bring me around and put my mind back into the game. Wildlife would be fun... but i'm Florida boy and it's freezing up here...
my indoor cat will have to do :-)

[Stephen J. Williams]

Originally Posted by Philip Gioja

I know what you're talking about. I've been going through the same process over the last year or year and a half. I was actually getting kinda depressed about it towards the end of the last year, with the economy going on, my day job slowing down, etc. I don't know what happened really but this year has started out with a new pace and I have some new ideas that have made things change a little bit. I'm hoping I can hit a good stride this year.

There were a couple things that helped me out. I took a risk and tried some new things with some wedding clients that I had never tried before, and that's been received well by this year's prospects.

I also rewrote my website from scratch trying to reach my target markets. I have several markets that I work with, but before I had everything all muddled together. Now I'm learning how to work with each separate market.

And I designed a logo. Never had a logo before, never thought I needed one, but I like it and it helps the marketing all make sense.

Your camera work looks great. A lot of it is handheld but you have a good handheld as best I can tell - your shots have purpose, it's not distractingly shaky, and they work together. I personally like Super-8 - I've seen a lot of nice work done in Super-8 and I hope it stays around a while longer. You can do it in post, but to me it doesn't look quite the same.

Philip... Glad to hear that you dug yourself out of your whole. I'll do my best to do the same. I have a few opportunities coming up to really think out my shots and plan the edit ahead of time. I really looking forward to it.

I picked up a S8 camera after watching a video someone posted on this forum board (john moon I believe). Anyways, I'm still caught up in the middle of the learning curve but i'm
having a great time. I'm hoping that it'll be around in the future now that i've got into it.
It's just so expensive... 2 rolls of film, processed, and transfered to miniDV cost more then my S8 camera... pretty crazy.

[Ken Diewert]

Originally Posted by Stephen J. Williams

It's just so expensive... 2 rolls of film, processed, and transfered to miniDV cost more then my S8 camera... pretty crazy.

Steve,

That's why after leaving film school, I switched to video. Even now I laugh when I hear guys whine about the cost of hi-grade video tapes. I think back then that 10 minutes of processed 16mm color film was like $300.00 And 10 minutes of hi-grade tape is like $1.00. It's a very cool concept, combining the s8 with the video. I just don't know if it's worth the added cost. Maybe you can do a poor mans transfer by picking up a projector and taping to DV off the screen.

Hang in there. You'll get thru it. Probably the winter blahs. If you're from the Sunshine state and now living in DC, that would be pretty brutal getting thru the winter.